Nearly five years ago, Springfield Armory introduced us to the SA-35 pistol, and it became an immediate “must have” for enthusiasts. It quickly established itself as the best-in-class modern production model of the legendary John Moses Browning P-35 pistol.
I was one of the fortunate writers to get an early copy of the gun and test it thoroughly. I purchased my test copy, and have purchased more of them since. Why? Because the SA-35 is much more than just a faithful recreation of a timeless sidearm design — it’s a viable everyday handgun capable of providing reliable and accurate protection that meets today’s expectations.
On the more subjective side of that, it is also wonderfully ergonomic and easy to operate — and a natural pointer. Long before the word “ergonomic” was batted about in every paragraph of every marketing campaign, John Moses Browning understood its meaning and its value to hand tools.
And at the end of the day, a handgun is just a hand tool. Simple controls that are intuitive and easily operated, combined with lines and curves that blend into the human hand naturally, means you have a design that works instinctively and naturally. You know, that instinctive “sights on target” angle that feels as natural as pointing your finger.
Oh, and did I mention accurate? Yeah — it’s “ragged hole group” accurate.
New Look in a Solid Line-Up
Last year, Springfield Armory introduced two new color variants to the line of SA-35 pistols, the Tactical Gray and Coyote Brown finishes. These new colors added a freshness to the lineup and something to consider in addition to “basic black”. I reviewed those here at The Armory Life and even purchased a Tactical Gray model for myself.
And here we are now, entering 2026, and Springfield Armory is poised to present yet another — and perhaps the most exciting — finish option for the SA-35. This pistol is the Polished Blued SA-35, and it features a highly burnished and reflective finish reminiscent of those wonderful blued handguns of decades past.
I don’t think anything quite embodies the nostalgia and history of gunmaking quite like a dark polished finish. It harkens to a time when heirlooms were crafted by artisans, thoughtfully purchased to be used as essential tools, and then handed down to future generations.
It can be said that the quality of a man’s tools will indicate his skill and dedication to his craft. I can remember watching my dad in his gunsmith shop, cleaning and caring for his hand tools with every bit as much attention as the firearms he used them on. This polished SA-35 takes me to that place.
Using the analogy again that a handgun is truly just a hand tool, this is a pistol made by toolmakers for people who appreciate nice tools.
History and Design
Not everyone is familiar with the history of the P-35 handgun or with its specs and designed function, so let’s get everyone up to speed.
As mentioned in the opening, this handgun was the brainchild of legendary firearms engineer and inventor John Moses Browning. It was essentially commissioned work, requested by the French military nearly a century ago.
Among the criteria laid out by the French, the pistol had to be compact in size for ease of carry by soldiers; needed a capacity of at least 10 rounds; and needed to have an external hammer, manual safety and magazine disconnect. It was also imperative that it be field-friendly, meaning that easy disassembly and reassembly for cleaning and basic maintenance was critical.
The French also insisted it be capable of lethal results at a minimum of 50 meters. The caliber was not specifically required to be 9mm, but was spec’d to require a minimum of 0.35” diameter and a velocity of at least 1,100 fps with a 120-gr. bullet. Well, if that doesn’t sound like the boilerplate for 9mm, I don’t know what does!
And so, work on the design began but was not completed by John Moses Browning before his death. It was later completed by engineers based on his original specifications and designs.
The pistol was built using a tilting-barrel recoil-operated system, and featured a staggered magazine to accommodate 13-rounds of ammunition. The pistol is a single-action-only type with semi-automatic action. It was considered at the time to be one of the best-designed handguns ever made — and many people today still hold it that same high regard.
But That Shine!
While the original SA-35 featured an attractive matte-black finish, this new model takes a different — and even more classic — approach with its polished finish. If you’re not accustomed to high-polish finishes, you’ll amaze yourself at how differently it looks simply by turning the gun at an angle or rolling it over in your hand.
Even a change in light from room to room or going outdoors can make it appear altogether different. Pitch black and glossy one moment, then a look of shiny silver the next. And because the SA-35 has such nuanced lines and curves, you’ll often see a combination of these attributes simultaneously. It takes a confident gunmaker to apply this finish to his work because it will show every little blemish or imperfection to the substrate.
Another often misunderstood property of a high gloss finish is grip. For many, it is counterintuitive to think that something so smooth would offer a better grip to the hand than something with a more porous finish, but that is exactly the case.
Don’t believe me? Try this simple experiment. Extend you four fingers straight and lay them on the surface of your smartphone. Using just a mild downforce, try to slide your fingers across the surface. Even if you hold the phone in place, you’ll feel the grip you have. Now try that same thing on a surface that has a matte or textured finish. You’ll immediately learn that human skin does a great job of gripping smooth surfaces — the smoother the better.
While shooting the Polished Blued SA-35, this really became apparent to me in a way it hadn’t in the past. Most of the high-gloss handguns I have are revolvers with a completely different dynamic in the hand. But the smooth front- and backstraps of the SA-35 didn’t feel like they moved at all in my hand.
As for the practical aspects of this newest SA-35, it is in every way equal to the Springfield Armory quality to which I’m accustomed. The Tactical Rack sights (made up of a white dot front and a Tactical Rack rear unit with light diffusing serrations) are certainly an upgrade over the legacy design, and perhaps do more to modernize the pistol than any other element. And yet, they blend into and belong as part of the design perfectly. They also make a great sight picture and make the SA-35 easy to keep on target.
Combined with the 4.7” cold hammer forged barrel, the pistol is consistently accurate. Standing 13 yards from my target and shooting off-hand with Remington UMC 115-gr. ball ammo, I was able to put 18 out of 20 shots into about a 1 ½” ragged-hole group. The two exceptions were only about ¼” outside that hole. That’s shootability that I can embrace all day long
Conclusion
This new burnished finish version of Springfield’s popular SA-35 is bound to turn heads. But it is far from just another pretty face. It’s a shooter!
Assault Critters
Handgun Control, Inc., should be proud of Dennis Amber. After all, the 45-year-old could have used a firearm to assault his girlfriend in her suburban Pittsburgh home. Instead, he used a 15 lb. snapping turtle, which he lugged to her house, then tried to persuade it to bite her.
The attack failed, possibly because Snappy’s full-auto sear was broken — or maybe Amber didn’t know how to work the “safety.” He was charged with assault anyway.
“Fire Superiority”
Los Angeles resident Ike Hudson might have considered the possibility of return fire when he pulled the trigger of his shotgun, but doubtless never dreamed — not in his worst nightmare — of the response he received. Now he’s suing for $339,875, claiming damage to his home, therapy costs, and a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Hudson says he was armed on the night of May 3, 1992, as the L.A. riots raged, because he feared another man who was trying to grab his girlfriend. When two Compton P.D. officers knocked, he fired a shotgun blast through his door, wounding both cops.
They didn’t have to call for back-up, though. Behind them were several more police officers, sheriff’s deputies, and U.S. Marines who saw Hudson’s muzzle flash and immediately returned fire, blasting the house with 185 rounds of small-arms fire.
Hudson’s lawyer, B. Kwaku Duren, says his client fired accidentally. If the jury believes that, they’ll probably thrown in an extra $5 for fresh underwear, too.
Disney Technique
In San Diego’s community of Normal Heights, frequently referred to as “Abnormal Heights” by residents, a stick-up man employed the “Disney Technique” of robbery with more success.
The suspect walked into a Pay Less drug store with a leashed Doberman and threatened the clerk with “imminent bite.” While Fido growled and drooled, the suspect filled a bag with cameras and other goods, then fled with his accomplice in a Chevrolet Monte Carlo.
Witnesses couldn’t say for sure if the Doberman was a Standard Sporting Canine of the dreaded “Assault Dobie,” which is known to be capable of rapid multiple bites.
Neither Senator Feinstein nor Senator Boxer were available to comment on whether or not this would lead to prohibitions against dogs with more than 10 teeth, or registration of dogs which are black, have military-style collars, and come equipped with a protruding “grip,” like the Doberman’s menacing-looking bobbed tail.
Certainly such animals have no legitimate sporting purpose, and enjoy no constitutional protection.
Regardless of the fallout from this incident, it is expected to simply fuel the already raging debate over concealable Schnauzers, said to be the “critter of choice” of terrorists and drug dealers.
You Just Can’t Rape A .38
Sneaking carefully up behind a pretty, blonde, and presumable helpless young woman, suspects Edward Monroe and David Kolander probably felt no fear, just excitement and eagerness to victimize their prey.
They doubtless didn’t expect any interference from the police. For one thing, how many cops could there be in a sleepy little burg like West Allis, Wisc.? Like jackals, they finally made their move, and got the answer to their question.
There was at least one cop in that part of West Allis: Pretty, blonde off-duty Officer Ann Marie Ziarnik, who proved not to be so helpless at all. She introduced them in turn to Mister Pistol, Mister Handcuffs, and Mister Asphalt. There were no “blonde jokes” allowed on the way to jail.
Surrender My What?
A defense attorney and the D.A. in Washoe County, Nev., struck a strange plea bargain awhile back with a man accused of exposing himself. The suspect had allegedly “flashed” a female skier out on the slopes, and absolutely refused to plead guilty to a charge of indecent exposure. He was allowed to cop a plea to “carrying a concealed weapon.”
The prosecuting attorney explained she had agreed to the unusual plea because the two charges carry exactly the same penalty. In Nevada, the law allows a plea to a fictitious charge in order to expedite a case. At the time, the legal meandering served its purpose.
But there are now several laws proposed which mandate that a person once convicted of weapons charges may be prohibited from possessing or carrying any weapons similar to the one used in the original crime.
This guy should pay close attention to Nevada’s legislative updates — and not be too quick to answer the door.
“Armed” Robbery
Would-be stick-up man Christopher Johnson has a certifiable case of Beantown Blues. He tried to rob the same Boston restaurant five times, and all he got for his efforts was … shot.
On his first four tries, Johnson entered the restaurant waving a handgun to get everybody’s attention, but minor problems — like everyone running out the back door — thwarted his robbery plans.
On his fifth and final attempt, Johnson threatened diners with a hidden “pistol” in his coat pocket. An exasperated employee finally took him seriously, and shot him.
A search revealed that this time, Johnson’s weapon was a hair brush. Police speculated he may have traded his real gun for drugs, having failed to score any cash.
Adding insult to injury, Johnson was tried and convicted for armed robbery despite the non-shooting status of his hairbrush.
An appeals court upheld the conviction, stating in essence that since employees and patrons of the restaurant had been threatened by Johnson using a real gun on so many occasions, they reasonably assumed the last instance was a legitimate armed robbery. The armed robbery, the court opined, was in the eye of the beholder.
Johnson also learned two important lessons: if at first you don’t succeed maybe you should give it up, and the pen may be mightier than the sword, but a personal grooming device ain’t no match for a .357 Magnum.
Dangerous And Dumb
Hard put to call it a “professional job,” police in Sunnyvale, Calif., sought perpetrators which some called the Teenage Stupid Ninja Turtles.
Six short, squatty men dressed in black and wearing ski masks burst into the offices of Micronix Computer, Inc. Waving semiauto pistols, they took 12 employees hostage, fired two shots into a door — and then just stood there, looking around. After a brief, muffled conversation with each other, they left empty-handed.
Micronix officials were stumped for a motive. The business had no expensive stock, no money on the premises, and no involvement with secret government contracts. Police thought they might have simply gotten the wrong address.
Little White Hats
The lady looked like she knew what she was doing as she strolled into a gun store in Naples, Fla. Stepping right up to the handgun counter, she closely and conscientiously checked out every firearm on display. Frowning, she finally turned to the proprietor and revealed the cause of her puzzlement.
“Do you keep any good guns in stock?” she asked. “These all look like those bad guns I keep seeing on television.”
Well, there are these little pink ones that only shoot gummy-bears …
Mark Moritz hung up his satirical spurs to a collective sigh of relief from America’s gun writers whom he had lampooned in Friendly Fire for two long, painful years. The 10 Ring is written by Commander Gilmore, a retired San Diego police officer who bases his humor, like Mark did, on actual occurrences. All the incidents described by the Commander are true.
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Ulfberht Sword Review
Ulfberht swords were made in the Rhineland region between the 9th and 11th centuries. They were high quality weapons and an undisputed status symbol among the warriors of the Viking Age. Most of the 170 or so examples that have been discovered were in funerary contexts, buried with their owners.
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Remington 700 “Old” vs “New”
Anti-gun lawmakers in Virginia, still celebrating a new Democrat governor, are wasting no time pushing dangerous anti-gun bills through the legislative process.
Bolstered by the recent swearing in of Democrat Gov. Abigail Spanberger, the Democrat-led Senate Courts of Justice Committee on January 26 passed eight gun-control measures, most of which will now be considered by the Senate Finance Committee.
Perhaps the most egregious measure, Senate Bill 749 bans certain semi-automatic firearms, including many semi-automatic rifles, pistols and shotguns, and arbitrarily limits magazine capacities.
“With the removal of the grandfather clause for magazines, anyone in possession of magazines that exceed the arbitrary limit will become a criminal overnight,” NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) wrote in a member alert. “This bill is an attempt to redefine and ban firearms that are in common use by law-abiding citizens—plain and simple gun confiscation by definition.”
Among the other anti-gun measures, SB 272 would limit who can carry firearms at public institutions of higher learning, SB 348 would create mandatory storage requirements, and SB 312 would prohibit carrying so-called “assault firearms” in public places, including streets, sidewalks and parks. As NRA-ILA pointed out, the vague definitions in the bill basically criminalize carrying any centerfire semi-automatic firearm in the commonwealth.
Other anti-gun measures passed by the committee include SB 323, which would ban the centuries-old practice of Virginians building their own firearms; SB 496, which places further restrictions on the ability of citizens to keep a firearm in their car for self-defense; and SB 115, which would jeopardize concealed handgun recognition and reciprocity agreements.
Philip Van Cleave, president of the gun rights group Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL), was critical of the Democrat-passed measures currently on the move in the commonwealth, especially the bill banning so-called “assault weapons” and “high-capacity” magazines.
“While Democrats have bills to weaken laws on violent criminals, they like and support every bill that in any way infringes on the ability of law-abiding citizens to protect themselves,” Van Cleave said in an email to Virginiamercury.com. “For years Democrats said, ‘No one wants to take your guns, we just want reasonable gun control.’ They do want to take our guns away, and the committee reported out bills that do just that with the most popular long guns in America. There is only one reason that a government would want a disarmed population, and that’s to force their will upon that population.”
Unfortunately for Virginia gun owners, the lesson that “elections matter” is coming very quickly this time around. All of the measures on the move in the Senate are ones that would opposed by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin, and Gov. Youngkin even vetoed several of the measures last year.
Ironically, the one measure the committee killed was SB 78. That piece of legislation—the only “commonsense” bill under consideration—would have increased mandatory minimum sentences for repeat firearm offenses.